Start rant:

My oldest daughter just started jazz dance classes 2 days a week (3 weeks ago) . Her classes are at the same time as my youngest’s taekwondo classes so I sit over at the martial arts studio and read during the classes. My oldest has ADHD and gets waaaay too distracted when I’m in the studio and she can see me through the window. Besides it’s really small over there and there’s not much room to sit so there ya go. Anyway, the taekwondo class ends 15 minutes before the jazz so I usually go over and watch her anyway.

So tonight I went over to the dance studio and realized that it’s the end of the month so I need to pay tuition for June. As I was writing out the check at the desk (no one’s really manning it) one of the girls in the class in the next hour (which is an advanced class) starts talking smack about someone to another student who’s hanging out behind the desk. Ok, they weren’t really talking smack but they were saying how this girl was so hyper and liked to talk (and talk and talk) and she must be ADD. Also how the teacher (who is incredibly patient) comes out before the class begins and says, “pray for me!” I listened for a minute not really realizing that they were talking about my daughter but then she pointed her out to the other girl (by what she was wearing) and made the crazy/twirly sign next to her temple – and the blowtorch in my brain went a little haywire! Then she starts talking to yet another girl – again pointing my daughter out specifically – and then that kid tells another and it’s like a chain reaction! By the time my daughter’s class let out there were 4 girls standing around planning to say some rude things to her and she just breezed past them completely oblivious, thank heavens!

The girls’ moms were standing talking to each other and when the students were talking they were standing next to me, not knowing I was her mom, and talking low so their mom’s wouldn’t hear them. I’m telling you I had to get out of there fast after the class was over so that I didn’t say something I would regret – like, shut the fuck up you little shits and mind your own damned business! Yeah, that probably wouldn’t have gone over too well!

I guess what gets me isn’t what they were saying, although that wasn’t too pleasant, because yes, she is hyper and she does like to talk (and talk and talk) and she does have ADHD but dammit…she’s 11 years old and she’s in the class because she loves it and it’s good for her to expend boatloads of energy in a 1 hour period. Why does she have to put up with that crap? I just don’t understand why 1 girl who doesn’t care for my daughter decides to start a fucking crusade and next thing you know the poor thing is on the firing squad. Were kids this mean when we were kids? I know I’m older than some here but really, was it this bad when we were kids and I was just oblivious and I’m delusional now or what?

/rant